Combined safety and throw-off mechanism.



C. F. ROOT.

COMBINED SAFETY AND THROW-OFF MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HUED OCT-2h 1915. RENEWED FEB. 5.1917.

7w 1 9 1 K0 1 W M d e t H DU 4- a D l wwm C. F. ROOT.

COMBINED SAFETY AND THROW-OFF MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-2|. 1915. RENEWED FEB. 5.1911.

Patented May 15, 19117 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. F. ROOT.

COMBINED SAFETY AND THROW-OFF MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.2|.1915.'RENEwEn FEB. 5. I917.

L fififin Patented May 15, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- C. F. BOOT.

COMBINED SAFETY AND THROW-OFF MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-2|. 1-915. RENEWED FEB. 5. 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

dmm,

C. F. ROOT.

COMBINED SAFETY AND THROW-OFF MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 21. m5. RENEWED FEB-5.1917.

Patented May 15, 1917 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

nnrrnn snares mama onrien CHARLES IE. ROOT, 0F MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 0E ONE-FOURTH T0 BYRQN O.

' CONN, 0F MANSFIELD; OHIO.

COMBINED SAFETY AND THROW-OFF MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 115, M917,

Application filed. October 21, 1915, Serial No. 57,059. Renewed. February 5, 1917. derial No. 146,847.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. Roor, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Safety and Throw-Off Mechanism, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention re ates to safety devices for machines equipped with a moving element and an opposing element which are adapted to act and exert a pressure upon work interposed between said elements, the specific construction of the present invention being more particularly applicable for use in connection with the conventional type of job printing presses.

It is well known that the operation of machines of the type described are highly dangerous to the operators thereof because by reason of inadvertence, accident, mistake or otherwise the operators fail to remove from between or interpose the hands or fingers between the elements and the are caught between the elements, in ured, maimed and crushed by the pressure of the elements exerted thereon.

It is further well known that in the operation of machines having a moving or rocking element and an opposing element such as printing presses, staying machines and the like, that the operator mustplaoe the hands or fingers between the elements many times in the course of a days operation for the purpose of placing therebetween Work to be acted upon by the elements.

To operate machines of the class described for performing the work for which they are adapted, economically, efiiciently and to their maximum capacity, they must be run or speeded up so as to leave just sufiicient time for the operators to remove from and place the work between the work engaging elements. It is desirable therefore to provide automatic means operable by contact with the hands or fingers of the operator to prevent injury thereto which is operable instantly without the exercise of any mental or physical effort upon the part of the operator.

As the capacity or speed of the machine is increased, the liability or danger to the operator of being injured is increased as the operator must interpose his hands or fingers between the work engaging elements oftener and the period of time is shortened in which the operator must place the work between and remove his hands and fingers from between the work engaging elements. lit is therefore of the utmost importance in the matter of safety to the operator and to operate the machine to its full capacity that the safety operating mechanism shall be automatically operable without any physical or mental effort upon the part of the opcontrolling means that when the operator fails to remove his hands or fingers from between the elements, or by inadvertence, accident or mistake or otherwise the operators' hands or fingers are interposed between the elements, that the controlling means will first contact with the fingers or hands of the operator thereby actuating the safety mechanism to prevent the, work engaging element from completing its working movement in the direction of the opposing element leaving a predetermined gap or safety zone between the elements of sufficient width to permit the hands or fingers to remain between or to be withdrawn from between the elements without danger of injury.

Another object is to provide a safety mechanism that can be manipulated by hand periodically at the will of the operator to prevent the work engaging element from exerting a pressure upon the work and to continuously maintain said work engaging element inoperative if desired, thereby combining a safet -mechanism with what is designated in t e printers art a throw-off mechan sm.

- without sto ping the draw-bar's; said work ferent means of accomplishing the above engaging e ement being at all times connected to, controlled and governed by the draw-bars thereby eliminating all jar, vibration; pounding or hammerin of the parts due to the gravity thereof or ecause of the actuation of the parts for the purpose intended.

The above described objects are set out'in my application bearing date of Aug. 30, 1915, series of 1915, Serial No. 48,014 and the same objects are common and generic to the present invention.

The present application describes and claims an invention which consists of difdescribed objects and the specific preferable means comprise draw-bars yieldingly connected to a rocking or oscillating platen by auxiliary links provided with arms, and which are ivotally connected to the drawbars and rigidly connected to a cross shaft which in turn is pivotallyconnected to and carried by the rocking platen, and a toggle mechanism, in combination with a mechanism that is automatically operable by a pressure or resistance upon a controller to actuate the links and change the relation of the links with reference to the cross shaft and draw-bars thereby preventing the drawbars from being actuated by the toggle mechanism to force the rocking platen to com lete its working movement in the directlon of and in uxtaposition with the opposing element and to exert a pressure thereon.

A further object is to provide means of yieldingly interlockin draw-bars to an oscillating or rocking p aten to permit a togle mechanism to force the platen to rock in time direction of the opposing element until it exerts a pressure upon work interposed between it and the opposing element under normal conditions; said draw-bars also being automatically unlocked and the relation thereof to the platen changed under abnormal conditions thereby preventing the rocking platen from being forced by the toggle mechanism to complete its rocking movement toward the opposing element leaving a gap or safety zone between the elements. c

A further object is to provide a mechanism that is automaticallyv operable by resistance or pressure upon a controller to release a pawl and permit it to drop by gravity and engage the teeth of a sliding ratchet bar that is pivotally connected to the arm of'one of the auxiliary links thereby stopping further movement of the ratchet bar which has the efifect of exerting a pull or leverage upon the arms of the auxiliary links forcing the auxiliary links to. pivot and change their dead center relation with reference to the axis of the journals upon which the draw-bars are journaled to confieplt the rocking platen to the stationary Another object is to pivotally mount a controller upon the connecting shaft of the stationarybed and means of normally retaining it in a predetermined position in the path of and between the work engaging elements, the contact portion of the controller being preferably arranged to swing toward and in close proximity to the top of the stationary bed when it meets an obstruction, or is subjected to resistance or pressure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sliding ratchet bar that is normally inoperative to actuate the auxiliary links connecting the draw-bars to a cross shaft which is connected to and carried by a rocking platen and a toggle mechanism until a pawl is permitted by resistance upon a controller to drop by gravity and engage and stop the sliding movement of the ratchet bar thereby. automatically actuating shaft connected to and carried by the rocking platen which prevents the rocking platen from being forced to complete its rocking movement in the direction of the stationary bed leaving a safety gap or zone between the work engaging elements.-

A further object of this invention is to combine a safety device and a throw-ofif mechanism in. a single means that is applicable to and can be readily attached to job presses which are provided with a stationary bed and a rocking platen adapted to exertpressure upon interposed work.

Another feature of the present invention consists in its ready and easy adaptability and attachment to job presses or the like now in use without any alteration or change thereof, the combined safety and throwoff mechanism being connected to the drawbars which are normally actuated by a toggle mechanism to force a rockin platen in juxtaposition to the stationary be and exert a pressure thereon.

This invention preferably consists as shown in the drawingof the following instrumentalities to wit; a means of yieldingly connecting draw-bars to a rocking platen and a stationary bed,'the platen being operated by a toggle mechanism which normally forces the platen to complete its rocking movement toward the stationa bed, a controller located in the path of the platen and the bed automatically operable by pressure thereon to actuate a mechanism troller, the mechanism actuated by the conv troller being so arranged, constructed and combined that when the mechanism is actu: ated to throw-off the impression or to provide a safety zone between the work engaging elements, said mechanism will always be connected to the rocking platen and the toggle operating mechanism thereof, 1n sucha manner as to gradually stop the movement thereof in the direction of the opposing element, but because of being continuously connected to said mechanism the play of all the parts will beautomatically taken up and the parts so controlled and governed that all vibration, pounding and jarring of the parts incident to changing of the normal working movement of the rocking platen will be eliminated.

A further differentiating feature of the present invention is the application of the combined safety and throw-off mechanism to a rocking platen operated by a toggle mechanism to normally move it toward and in juxtaposition to a stationary bed to exert a pressure upon work interposed be tween the rocking platen and stationary bed.

These and other objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional type of a job press showing the combined safety and throw-off mechanism applied thereto, also showing the position of the parts thereof when the rocking platen is at the end of its idle movement or about to commence its working movement.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a conventional type of job press showing the combined safety and throw-ofi' mechanism applied thereto, also showing the position of the'parts when the rocking platen isat the end of its working movement, exerting or about to exert a pressure upon interposed work.

Fi 3 is a side elevation of a conventiona type of job press showing the combined safety and throw-oif mechanism applied thereto; also showing the position of the parts thereof when the controller of the mechanism meets with resistance or is subjected to pressure i. e. as shown in the drawings when the controller contacts with the fingers A or any other part of the person of the operator.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of Figs. 1, 2, 3, showing the pressure elements in juxtaposition.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation upon an enlarged scale showing a pawl and bracket, a fragment of the sliding ratchet rod and the end of the arm of the controller in contact with the pawl maintaining it out of engagement with the ratchet bar or in other words above the plane thereof.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 2').

Tu the drawings reference numeral 1 represents the frame of an ordinary job press provided with a stationary bed 2, 3 an oscillating or rocking platen, 4 a driving crank shaft having mounted thereon a fly wheel 5. A pinion 6 is mounted on the shaft 4 meshing with a gear wheel 7 which is mounted upon a crank shaft 8. A link 10 is connected to the crank 9 of the crank shaft 8 on one end and its opposite end is connected to the arm 11 of a rocker 12. The rocker 12 is mounted upon a shaft 13 which is journaled in the frame 1.

Links 14 and 15 are connected to the bell crank rocker 12 at 16 and their opposite ends ar journaled upon a cross shaft 17 which in turn is supported and connected to the rocking platen by links 18 and 19. The platen is pivotally supported by a shaft 20 which is journaled to the frame 1. The above describes briefly the toggle mechanism for operating the rocking platen, which forms no part of the present invention and is only described herein to make more clear the application of this invention to a rocking platen operated by a toggle mechanism in combination with a stationary bed.

It will be observed that when movement is imparted to the toggle mechanism through the medium of the driving shaft 4 that a continuous rocking movement is thereby imparted to the platen, the movement thereof being in the direction of the stationary bed or opposing element.

In the application of the present invention to job presses of the ty e herein described the conventional or ordinary type of draw-bars are removed and draw-bars 21 and 22 of greater length are connected at one end to the reduced portions 23 and 24 of a connecting shaft 25 and their opposite ends are connected to and journaled upon the projecting ends of stud shafts 26 and 27 which are fitted and rigidly fastened to one end of the auxiliary links 28 and 29. The opposite ends of the auxiliary links are fitted to and rigidly fastened to the reduced portions 30 and 31 of the cross connecting shaft 17 of the toggle mechanism thereby yieldingly connecting the draw-bars through the medium of the auxiliary links to the toggle mechanism which when actuated imparts a rocking or oscillating movement under normal conditions to the platen which is connected thereto thereby forcing it to exert a 'mechanism when actuated will force the platen to rock and exert a pressure upon'the opposing element in the same manner as the ordinary draw-bars .of standard lengths would if they had not been removed. It will thus be seen that the auxiliary links yieldingly connect the substituted draw-bars of greater length to the toggle mechanism holding and maintaining the same and the rocking platen in the same pre-determined relation with reference to the opposing element as the ordinary links, thereby compensating for and making up for the difference in pull or draw of the ordinary drawbars caused by the use of draw-bars of greater length and making the ordinary and substituted draw-bars equivalent to each other when the f auxiliary links are upon dead center relationwith reference to the connected draw-bars. a

The space or gap of the safety zone that it is desired to leave between the pressure elements can be pre-determined or varied by the use of auxiliary links of different lengths. An arm 32 preferably having one end bifurcated is provided on the auxiliary link 29 and one end 33 of a ratchet rod 34 is pivotally connected thereto.

The ratchet rod is slidably supported in the journals 35 and 36 carried by a bracket 37 which is pivotally mounted on one end of the shaft 4. The bracket 37 has an offset member 38 pivoted to. its upper portion which carries a pawl 39 that is arranged in alinementwith and adapted under normal conditions to be supported over the lane of a series of ratchet teeth 40 provid on the ratchet bar 34. When the toggle mechanism is actuated the sliding rod 34 is reciprocated under normal conditions and the auxiliary links are held on their dead cen ter positions relative to the draw-bars 21 and 22 by the tension of the coil springs 41 and 42 which force the lips 43 and 44 in contact with the dead center stop pins 45 and 46 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Upon the reduced portions 23 and 24 of the shaft 25 and interposed between the bed and the draw-bars, the ends of the rearwardly extending arms 47. and 48 of a controller 49 are pivotally mounted. The gravity of the arms and the controller are such as to maintain the controller between the pressure elements in a position to telescope the platen and first contacts with an obstruction inad- The operation of the present invention is as follows: When the press is operating normally and there'is no obstruction between the co6perating pressure elements comprisingthe platen and stationary bed and the controller is not subjected to pressure or resistance, the platen is rocked or oscillated to the position shown in Fig. 2 at which time it is exerting a pressure upon work interposed between the elements and the platen is then returned to the position shown in Fig. 1, permitting the operator to place work on the platen to be acted upon by the pressure elements. If however an obstruction is encountered by the controller such as the fingers A or any other part of the person of the operator is placed or left in the path of the rocking platen the fingers first contact with the controller 49 forcing it to swing or pivot upon its arms and automatically release the finger bar 50 from its contact with the segment projection 51 permitting the pivoted member 38 to drop or fall by gravity and the pawl 39 carried thereby to engage the ratchet teeth 40 of the ratchet bar and prevent further sliding movement thereof thereby exerting,and transmitting a pull'or leverage upon the arm 32 of the link 29 forcing it and the links 28 to pivot to substantiallyat right angles to the drawbars and out of dead center relation with the draw-bars which has the effect of permitting the draw-bars to continue their movement without imparting a full and complete rocking or oscillating movement to the platen in the direction of the stationary bed thereby leaving a safety gap or zone between the pressure elements.

When the obstruction is removed the controller again contacts with the segment 51 thereby maintaining the pawl 39 out'of engagement with the ratchet teeth 40.

Attention is called to the fact that the gap or safety zone varies according to the size of the obstruction that the controller encounters; that is, a small obstruction will leave a. smaller gap or safety zone and a large obstruction will leave a larger gap or safety zone.

When the operator desires to throw off the impression of the type upon the work be manually grasps the controller and exerts a pressure thereon or resists it and the safety mechanism is thereby automatically actuated.

macaw Immaterial changes or alterations can be made in thestructure, constructionand arrangement of the parts herein described without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

.1. In a combined safety and throw-off mechanism for machines equipped .with cooperating pressure elements, draw -bars yieldingly connected to said elements, a toggle mechanism connected to one of said elements and to'the draw-bars; said toggle mechanism being adapted under normal con-' ditions to impart a working movement to the element connected to it in the direction of and in juxtaposition with the opposing element, a controller mounted to swing between the elements which is automatically operable by pressure or resistance to permit actuation ofthe yielding connections of the draw-bars to prevent the movable element from completing its working movement toward the opposing element thereby leaving a safety zone or gap between the pressure elements.

2. In a combined safety and throw-off mechanism for machines equipped with cooperative pressure elements, draw-bars yieldingly connected to said elements, a toggle mechanism connected to one of said elements and to the draw-bars; said toggle mechanism being adapted under normal conditions to impart a working movement to the element connected to it in the direction of and in juxtaposition with the opposing element, a controller mounted to swing between the elements which is automatically operable by pressure or resistance to permit actuation of the yielding connections of the draw-bars to prevent the movable element from completing its working movement toward the opposing element thereby leaving a safety gap or zone between the pressure elements: said controller also being operable by hand manipulation to actuate the yielding connec tions of the draw-bars to throw-off the impression and at the same time leave a sutlicient gap between the elements to.prevent injury to the operator.

3. In a combined safety and throw-01f mechanism. formachines equipped with cooperating pressure elements, draw-bars, a toggle mechanism connected to one of the elements to impart movement thereto, auxiliary links connected to the draw-bars and to the toggle mechanism, means to interlock the auxiliary links to the draw-bars to force the movable element to complete its working movement under normal conditions, a controller mounted to pivot between the pressure elements operable by an obstruction in r the path of the movable element to cause actuation of the auxiliary links which automatically prevents the movable element from completing its working movement thereby leaving a gap between the pressure elements.

4. In a combined safety and throw-0E mechanism for machines equipped with pressure elements, one movable toward the other, a .toggle mechanism connected to the movable element, draw-bars, means to connect the draw-bars to the toggle mechanism, means to interlock the draw-bars to the toggle mechanism to force the movable element to complete its working movement under normal conditions; said connecting -means also being automatically operable by an obstruction in the path of the movable member to prevent the movable element from completing its working movement thereby leavin a safety gap or zone between the ele-. ments. s v v 5. A; safety operating mechanism applicable to printing presses or the like in combination with the pressure element thereof, draw-bars, a toggle mechanism connected to one of said elements for imparting move ment thereto, driving means therefor, auxiliary links connected to the toggle mechanism and to the draw-bars, means to maintain the auxiliary links upon dead center w relation with reference to the draw-bars, a controller and means operable by pressure upon said controller to force the auxiliary links from their dead center relation with reference to the draw-bars.

6. A combined safety and throw-oft mechanism attachable to machines equipped with pressure elements, one of said elements bemg stationary and the other arranged to be moved to exert a pressure on the other under normal conditions, a toggle mechanism to operate the movable member, draw-bars yieldingly connected to the toggle mechanism in a pre-determined relation thereto, means to change the relation of the draw-bars to the toggle mechanism under abnormal conditions to prevent the movable element from. completingits working movement.

In a combined safety and throw-0E mechanism for machines having cooperative pressure elements, draw-bars, means to yieldingly connect the draw-bars .to one element, means to impart a rocking movement to the yieldingly connected element, a controller located in the path of the pressure elements, means to force the yielding connections to cooperate with the draw-bars to impart com plete working movement to the yieldingly connected element, and means operable by resistance upon the controller to actuate the yielding connections to prevent the drawbars from imparting a complete working movement to theyieldingly connected element.

8. In a combined safety and throw-ofi 5 mechanism for printing presses and analogous machines, a stationary bed, a'rocking platen which is adapted to exert a pressure upon the stationary bed, a toggle mechanism connected to the rocking platen, draw-bars 1 g yieldingly connected to the toggle mechanism, a safety mechanism to operate the yielding connections of the draw-bars to govern and control the extent of the rockmg movement of the platen in the direction of the stationary bed and restrict its movement toward the same.

9. In a combined safety and throw-ofi' mechanism for printing presses and analogous machines, a stationary bed, a rocking platen which is adapted to exert a pressure upon the stationary bed, a toggle mechanism connected to the rocking platen, draw-bars yieldingly connected to the toggle mechanism, a safety mechanism'to operate the yielding connections of the draw-bars to govern and control the extent of the rocking movement of the platen in the direction of the stationary bed, a controller mounted upon the stationary bed to swing between elements which is operable by pressure either automatically or by hand to restrict the working movement of the rocking platen.

10. In a combined safety and throw-off mechanism for machines equipped with cooperating pressure elements, a toggle mechanism connected to one of said elements for imparting movement thereto, driving means therefor, draw-bars yieldingly connected to the toggle, mechanism to maintain the elements in a predetermined relation with reference to each other under normal conditions, means to actuate the yielding connections of the draw-bars, a controller operable by pressure to automatically permit oper ation of the means that actuates. the yielding connected draw-bars for the purpose intended and described.

11. In a combined safety and throw-off mechanism for use in a machine having cooperative pressure elements, one of said clements being adapted to be moved toward the other to exert pressure thereon, means comprising draw-bars, a toggle mechanism and auxiliary links for connecting the elements which provide for a variation of the working movement of the movable element in the direction of the opposing element under abnormal conditions for the purpose described.

-12. In a combined safty and throw-off mechanism for use in a machine having cooperative pressure elements, one of said elements'being adapted to be moved toward --the other to exert pressure thereon means comprising draw-bars, a toggle mechanism and auxiliary links for connecting the elements which provide for a variation of the working movement of the movable element in the direction of the opposmg element, a controller mounted to swing between the elements which is operable by pressure to' elements.

13. In. a combined safety and throw-off mechanism for machines equipped with cooperative pressure elements, draw-bars to connect the elements and mamtam said elements in a pre-determined relation to each other, a toggle mechanism to impart movement to one of said elements, driving means therefor, means to connect the draw-bars to the movable element and to the toggle mechanism forming a knee joint which forces the movable element to complete its working movement under normal conditions and prevents it from completing its working movement under abnormal conditions thereby providing a safety zone between the elements.

14. In a safety mechanism for machines equipped with cooperative pressure ele ments, one of said elements being adapted to the rocked juxtaposition with the other and to exert a pressure thereon, a toggle mechanism to impart movement to one of the elements, :1 driving means therefor, draw-bars to connect the elements, auxiliary links to connect the movable element to the drawbars and the toggle mechanism, means to normally maintain the auxiliary links on dead center. relation with reference to the draw-bars, and means operable by pressure to actuate the auxiliary links to force them to pivot and throw them off dead center relation with reference to the draw-bars.

15. In a combined safety and throw-off mechanism for machines equipped with cooperative pressure elements, draw-bars yieldingly connected to said elements, a toggle mechanism connected to the draw-bars, a ratchet bar pivotally connected to the yielding connection of one draw-bar, a bracket provided with journals to slidingly engage and support the free end of the ratchet bar, a pawl carried by the bracket over the plane ofthe ratchet bar, a controller to normally maintain the pawl over the plane of the ratchet bar which is operable by pressure to permit the pawl to engage the teeth of the ratchet bar stopping its sliding movement and thereby transmitting a pull or pressure upon the auxiliary links throwing them off dead center relation with reference to the draw-bars.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. Roor.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. Coss, EMMA BECK. 

